Miami Ohio University Athletics
Miami University
Vermont
MIAMI ICE HOCKEY OPENS 2007-08 CAMPAIGN WITH VICTORY
10/13/2007 12:00:00 AM | Hockey
Oct. 13, 2007
OXFORD - A pair of goals in the third period helped Coach Enrico Blasi's Miami University ice hockey team successfully open its 2007-08 season Friday night at Steve Cady Arena, beating No. 20 Vermont by a score of 2-1.
The fourth-ranked RedHawks (1-0-0) and the visiting Catamounts (0-1-0) battled to a scoreless tie for the first 45 minutes of the game until junior forward Justin Mercier (Erie, PA) broke the drought with the first goal of the season. Junior defenseman Raymond Eichenlaub (Wilmette, IL) and junior forward Brian Kaufman (Shoreview, MN) assisted on the power-play goal at 4:49 of the third period that gave Miami its first lead, 1-0.
Less than eight minutes later, senior forward Ryan Jones (Chatham, Ont.) took a feed from junior defenseman Kevin Roeder (Glenview, IL) and scored an insurance goal at 12:17 to put Miami on top, 2-0. It was the 60th goal of Jones's RedHawk career.
It wasn't until 17:38 of the third period that junior goaltender Jeff Zatkoff (Chesterfield, MI) allowed Vermont its only tally. Junior forward Peter Lenes scored the goal for the Catamounts. Both Zatkoff and Vermont goalie Joe Fallon were brilliant in the nets. Zatkoff deflected 24 Catamount shots while Fallen was peppered with 38 RedHawk shots.
Miami coach, Enrico Blasi, praised both teams' efforts afterwards.
"This was a great college hockey game," said Blasi. "Both teams seemed to get better as the game went along. It felt like a game in March rather than October."
Miami and Vermont square off again Saturday night in Oxford, with faceoff scheduled for 8:05 p.m.
POST-GAME NOTES:
*No. 4 Miami's victory was its first in seven games against Vermont. The Catamounts had won the previous six games in the series. Last season, Vermont beat Miami by a score of 4-1 at the Goggin Ice Center.
*Miami improved its all-time record in season-opening games to 11 victories, 16 losses and three ties. The RedHawks' record in home openers improved to 20-8-2.
*Miami now has an all-time record of 16-5-1 at Steve Cady Arena. The RedHawks are 8-1-1 in their last 10 games at home.
*Ryan Jones scored what turned out to be Miami's game-winning goal at 12:17 of the third period Friday night. It marked the 14th time in MU history that he has scored the game-winner, an all-time school record. Jones's tally last night was the 60th of his career. He is now just four goals away from a tie for 10th place on the RedHawks' all-time list in that category. Jones has a career total of 99 points (60 goals and 39 assists).
*Miami and Vermont entered the third period in a scoreless tie. It's the first time that has happened in a RedHawk game since Nov. 18, 2006 (vs. Nebraska-Omaha) and the only time that's occurred over the last two seasons. In that game vs. UNO, Miami wound up winning the game by a score of 2-1.
*Justin Mercier scored the game's first goal at 4:59 of the third period. It was the 14th goal of his career. Mercier had a three-goal hat trick in last Saturday's 5-0 exhibition victory over Waterloo.
*With the RedHawks' 2-1 victory over Vermont Friday night, Miami goaltender Jeff Zatkoff improved his career record to 29-13-4. He lowered his career goals-against average to 2.13.
Friday night's scores among Top Ten teams:
No. 1 North Dakota and No. 3 Michigan State (play first game Saturday)
No. 10 Michigan 4 ... No. 2 Boston College 3
No. 4 Miami 2 ... No. 20 Vermont 1
No. 5 Minnesota 4 ... RPI 3
New Brunswick 4 ... No. 6 New Hampshire 3 (exhibition game)
No. 7 Clarkson 2 ... UMass 1
Wisconsin 4 ... No. 8 Notre Dame 1
Robert Morris 3 ... No. 9 Boston Univ. 2
